Cellular Mechanisms Regulating VTA Dopamine Neurons

描述(由申请者提供)：申请者的长期职业目标是发展成为一名研究药物滥用和成瘾的潜在机制的独立调查员。为了实现这一目标，申请人(Arthur Riegel博士)准备了一项导师研究科学家发展奖(K01)，旨在：1)获得最先进的神经成像技术方面的重要技术和理论培训，同时研究多巴胺神经元的树突生理学；以及2)准备一份竞争性的R01拨款提案，以建立一个独立的研究计划。这份K01申请中建议的培训将在职业发展计划的背景下进行。这份职业计划包含了来自著名神经生理学家(约翰·威廉姆斯博士)的指导，以及重要的职业发展技能、教学指导和负责任的研究行为的培训机会。申请者得到了Vollum研究所的资源和专业知识的承诺，Vollum研究所是美国最好的细胞神经科学环境之一。《职业生涯规划》的研究内容是调查慢性吗啡暴露后树突状生理的神经适应。Riegel博士的近期目标是发展在双光子显微镜、旋转共聚焦显微镜、光解、焦点电刺激、焦点离子导入和慢性阿片类药物给药实验模型方面的专业知识。这些技术将被用来研究初步数据，表明腺苷环化酶(AC)的Forskolin激活增强了mGluR介导的SK通道的激活。所提出的特定目标将检验存在一种新的依赖AC/PKA的信号级联的假设，该信号级联调节SK-通道电流，并在慢性吗啡治疗过程中上调。这些实验的结果有望增加我们对SK通道功能对成瘾过程中多巴胺神经元兴奋性的影响的理解。在公共卫生方面，拟议的研究的相关性在于，更好地了解SK通道功能的细胞机制将导致开发神经药理学工具，将该通道作为治疗靶点。这份职业计划中包含的培训将为在第三年制定R01提案提供坚实的基础。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The applicant's long-term career goal is to develop into an independent investigator studying the mechanisms underlying drug abuse and addiction. In order to achieve this objective, the applicant (Dr. Arthur Riegel) has prepared a Mentored Research Scientist Development Award (K01) designed to: 1) acquire important technical and theoretical training in state-of-the-art neuroimaging techniques, while investigating the dendritic physiology of dopamine neurons; and 2) prepare a competitive R01 grant proposal in order to establish an independent research program. The training proposed in this K01 application will be conducted in the context of a Career Development Plan. This Career Plan incorporates mentoring from an established neurophysiologist (Dr. John Williams), as well as important training opportunities for practical career development skills, didactic instruction and Responsible Conduct of Research. The applicant has the commitment of resources and expertise from the Vollum Institute, one of the finest cellular neuroscience environments in the country. The research element of the Career Plan investigates neuroadaptations in dendritic physiology following chronic exposure to morphine. Dr. Riegel's immediate goals are to develop an expertise in 2-photon microscopy, spinning confocal microscopy, photolysis, focal electrical stimulation, focal iontophoresis, and experimental models of chronic opioid administration. These techniques will be used to investigate preliminary data demonstrating that forskolin-activation of adenylyl cyclase (AC) enhances the mGluR-mediated activation of the sK-channel. The proposed specific aims will test the hypothesis that there exists a novel AC/PKA-dependent signaling cascade, which regulates the sK-channel current and is upregulated during chronic morphine treatment. The results from these experiments are expected to increase our understanding of the impact of sK-channel function on dopamine neuron excitability during addiction. With regard to public health, the relevance for the proposed research is that a better understanding of the cellular mechanisms underlying sK-channel function will lead to the development of neuropharmacological tools to exploit this channel as a therapeutic target. The training incorporated in this Career Plan will provide a solid basis upon which to develop a R01 proposal in Year-3.